1913 - Champion Shooting Company - No. 4 Company - Glamorgan R.G.A. - Falmouth - In early 2023, a lovely gentleman named Andy kindly provided some photographs of the various Companys' of the Glamorgan R.G.A. and provided further information regarding their achievements. There is an excellent website covering the family story : A Holiday for Patsy : The story of Patrick O’Brien : by Ann Gourlay and Andrew Gourlay. [1135] In section 6 : Glamorgan RGA background, the story unfolds as follows : -
'The Glamorgan Royal Garrison Artillery was established in 1899 though it had its roots in a volunteer force formed in the mid 19th century when a series of forts were built around the South Wales coast to protect seaports from possible invasion by the French.'
Enlisting in the Garrison seemed to be a family tradition. Patsy’s father Patrick senior served with them for 12 years but had left by the time war broke out. Patsy’s older brother Will had also been in a few years.
By the time Patsy joined in 1913 they were affiliated with the regular army and had a full-time Sergeant instructor in residence at the fort.
A pair of 6-inch naval guns were installed at the fort on Penarth Head (only five years earlier they were still using muzzle-loading cannons) and it seems the Garrison were pretty well-trained. In 1913 they won the regimental shooting competition in Falmouth. . . . '
Gunner Patsy O’Brien is in the back row – 5th from the right – next to the man with the impressive moustache! He’d have been 18 years old. Read more on the fine website - see link listed at [1135]
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